Running-board light



April 7, 1931- B. J. KOSHIOL 1,800,083

RUNNING BOARD LIGHT Filed May 51, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,Bervzarei e/i ffask g ATTORNEY April 7, 1931. B. J. KOSHIOL RUNNING BOARD LIGHT Filed May 31, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Bermrd cf. 11 asiq zggg ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 7 1931 UNITED STA ES PATENT oriucu t meme 611 1 seem MWNEWTA.

UNNING- W LI H Application filed May 31, 1929. Serial No. 367,554.

This invention relates tothe broad class of illuminating'devices, and has special reference to illuminating devices designed to be used upon and in connection with motor 5; vehicles for the purpose of illuminating the running boards and the floor whenever a door 'isopened for7theentrance or exit of a passenger.

' An important object of the invention is 1 to "provide asafety light device mounted uponthe running board shield or apron in such position asto throw light upon the running board and also upon the ground upon opening oi the door "or doors of the 15! vehicle at the particular side lIlQllGStlOIl, the real intention being that the light be duplicated, one at each running board with "the respective lightscontrolled by opening orclosingfof the doors at that side of the when the latter "are closed,'means being provided whereby the switch or switches will moved to closed or circuit completin position when a door ordoors are o one Another object ot the; invention is providea'novelswitch device in the combina tion set forth which will be operated by opening: or closing movement of the door of afvehicle; 5 a r Still another object is to provide alamp devicewhich m be mounted upon or formed integrallywiththe running board shield or apron' and which will be very inconspicuous and which will therefore not i in mentalappearance of, the vehicle. i additional object is to providea safety light and control mechanism therefor which will "be very "simple-and inexpensive tomake, "easy: to install, positive andlautornatic in operation, eflicient and dura le in service, and 53,. general improvement in the art.

Withf'the above" andother objects and advantagesin View; the invention preferably ecmsi ts the details Qi'QQI W t QH d light or lamp itself.

doors E. All these andother elements are illustrated and described though the other eating device are progeny rather i a the arrangement and combination of arts to be hereinafter more fully describe and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Whichz-l i 7 Figure 1 is a side elevation of an auto 55 mobile of the sedan type showing one side thereof and illustrating itas e nipped with the safety light and a pair 0 switch devices adapted to be operatedby the front and rear doors respectively. i

Figure 2 is a fragmentary detail sectional view through a door and a portion of the door jamb or post enaged therebyshoiwing the switch in side elevation. Figure 3 is a detail sectional view through one of the circuit closing switches.

Figure 4 is; an elevation lookingiat one edge of the door jamb and showin'gthe switch device. a t

Figure 5 is a detail elevation of the safety Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view therethrough taken on the line 6--6 of Figure 5. Figure 7 is a diagram of the electrical circuit for either side of the 'car. 75

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letter A designates an automobile including the usual body B, running hoard C, runningboard shield on apron D and feature u h; as Wheels, fenders, hood, radiator and the like do not in anyway enter intothe invention. Eurthermore, it iswell known that every automobile is equipped with a storage battery, as is the one inftli'e p ent nsta ce, t o gh h s battery is not illustrated except int-he diagram: shiqwnin Fi re 7.

4.9 anywaydetract from-the artistic and ornan carryin out theinve tionas lied, to a clostd b%dy of the'coii cii type sfil h as that illustrated, I provide :1" amp indicated gs sr lythy the nume al 10 a ap ed an nten d t be m unted "upo hemtn bdeid'eh ld or sp ee n 1 1 1 5 pos on r w ght p n th r ning b a d andfalso upon the ground on certain occasioiis or under" certain c ndemn The actual details of construction ofthi'sillumim terial but it is here represented as comprismounted in any'preferred manner upon the base 11 is a bracket 14: carrying a socket 15 of any ordinary or preferred variety within which is mounted an incandescent lamp or bulb and which has terminal members 17 andi18 forming a part of a cable indicated at 19-brought out through a suitable insulat- 'in'g bushing 20in the base plate 11.' It is immaterial how this base plate 11 is actually secured to the running board shield or apron =l),and asa matter of fact, it may form an integral part thereof if such is preferred for any reason.-

' For controlling the energization of the incandescent lamp'or bulb I provide a switch "devicein association with each door of the car or at least in connection with the doors lat the side most used. Ordinarily it is the doors at the right side .of the vehicle which arecommonly used more than the others and in case it is desired to reduce the cost of the installation it is'apparent' that the switches .mightbe used: only .at this side. However,

there is no limitation in this respect. These switches are designated generally by the numeral 21 and are represented as located vwlthintthe door jambs or posts F. The detailed construction'of the switch may, of

'course,fbe varied within wide limits but I have shown .it as of the spring" pressed plunger type and made in theman'ner to be described.

The switch device 21 is mounted on the doori post or amb F, as mentioned above and 1s accommodated within a recess 22. The, switch device is represented as comprisan attaching plate 23 which is secured at theedge'of the door post in such position as .to cover the recess22, attachment being effected as by means" of suitable bolts 24.

. This plate is of metal and suitably secured theretois a tubular housing or sleeve 25, likewise of-metal, and withinwhich is slidably mounted a plunger 26 which projects through an opening 27 in the attaching plate "so as to be engaged by the'hinged edge of the'door. j I

:fThe': plunge'r 26 has a reduced stem 28 thereon slidable through the inner or closed end of the sleeveor housing, and surrounding this stem is. a coil spring'29 which abuts againstthe plunger 26Qandagain'st the closed or inner end of the tubular guide or hous- 'The attachingplate 23 carries a block or strip 30 of in sulating material on which is mounted an angular contact 31 to which is connected a wire 32 for a purpose to be 1 described; On the projecting end of the stem 28 is a head 33 adapted to engage against the angular contact 31. As the parts 23, 25, 26, 28 and 33 are of metal and as the attaching plate 23 is secured to the metal'casing F of the door post it is apparent that a groundconnection is provided. In addition to serving as contact means, the head33 constitutes a stop for limiting the "projection" of the plunger 26 beyond the door post when the door is opened.

Referring to the diagram, Figure 7, the letter H designates the storage'battery of the car which has one terminal grounded at 'I, as is customary. In installing'my invention, I provide a conductor 34: connected with the other terminal, of the storage bat-l tery. and connected with the wire 17 which leads to the lamp 16, it being. preferable that a fuse 35 be interposed in the connectlon for safety, purposes. As mentioned aboveithe heads 33 are. grounded as shown at 36 1nthe-diagram. The wire 32 is connectedoby a wire 37 with the wire 18. As a matter of fact, the wires 18 and 37 may be the same but for the sake of clearness in the, diagram they are represented as different. It will also be observed thatFigurei7discloses two of the switches 21, one foreach door at one side of the vehicle. It should be distinctly understood that if such is desired-each door may be equipped with the switchfdevice at each side-of the vehicle which would make four switches in all in case of a car of the sedan type or two switches in case of, a car "of the coach type. -The number of switches is naturally immaterial inasmuch as the operation will be identically the-samein every instance.

Assumingthat my light structure or lamp device. has been mounted upon the running board shield or apron .as illustrated and thatthe switches have been installed within the door posts or jambs, it will be seen that when the doors are closed, the engagement of the hinged edges thereof with theiplungers 26 of the switchpdevices will hold the plungers in their innermostpositions against the resistance. of the-spring 29 so that the heads 33 will be in spaced. relation to the contacts 31; 'Clearlyfno current will'then flow through the lamp or bulb 16.; .Whenever a door is opened, the disengagement of the hinged edge thereof with the associated plunger 26' willvpe'rmit the spring 29 to force the plunger out or project it beyond the attaching plate. 23. When thisroccurs the head 33 will engage against the angular contact 31 and provide the ground connection 36 whereupon current will flow from the storage battery II, through the wire 34:, fuse 35, wire 17 filament of the lamp 16, wire 18,

wire 37, and wires 32, contact 31, head 33,

stem 28 and to the ground. As the other terminal of the storage battery is also by means of which adequate illumination of the running board and ground nearby may be had whenever the door of a car is opened. This will be of great advantage in preventing passengers from missing their footing and slipping or stumbling upon the running board when getting into or out of a car. It is believed that the construction, operation and advantages will be readily understood without further explanation.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that I reserve the right to make all such changes in the details of construction and the arrangement and combination of parts as will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoinedclaim.

Having thus described the invention I claim An electric lamp case comprising a base plate of substantially semi-circular shape and having a pair of arcuate shaped grooves, a substantially oval shape shield engaging one of said grooves and having a groove in p the free edge thereof, a concave lens engaging in the groove of the shield and the other groove of the plate and having the convex face thereof projecting slightly beyond the lower edge of the shield, fastening means securing the shield to the plate and holding the lens within its respective grooves, and a bracket carried by said plate to support an electric lamp partially within the concave of the lens.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

BERNARD J. KOSHIOL. 

